FOR WE LIVE. WE COMMUNICATE.
Sorry not so sorry about my title, sounds a little dramatic, doesn’t it? Like a forgotten line from a dusty scripture. But titles don’t matter right now. This diary, you, are my haven. You won’t judge my frantic writings, even when my heart is torn apart.
If you’re reading this, it means one of two things. Either I’m finding my way back from the wreckage of my love story, or the pain has become too much to bear that I have lost it, but either way, know that I am fine. This is more than just a heartbreak, diary. It’s a story about how a fundamental concept– communication — became the very reason I lost the one person I cherished most…
We were a symphony, me and her (too hurt to remember her name) Our laughter was like the melody, our whispers the harmony. But somewhere along the way, the music faded out. The whispers turned into unspoken assumptions, the laughter into hollow echoes. We spoke, yes, but not truly. We forgot the art of communication, the art of truly hearing each other.
This isn’t just a love story, diary. It’s a cautionary tale. A testament to the power, and the pitfalls, of how we connect. It’s a story about the silence that can drown out even the loudest voices.
This is my journey, diary. A journey to rediscover the music, to understand the silence, and maybe, just maybe, to learn to communicate again. This is the story of the misunderstood whisper.
“My story, Our Story: In the beginning, Our tale was filled only with warmth, the gentle touch of her hands, our shared smile filled any abode we walked into, we were each other’s pal, she was my sanctuary, and I protected her with my strength. We were two souls surfing in our Disney world filled with flickering lights of newfound love, when we were together it felt like the clock stopped. All of these were nothing but a facade to my little understanding, under those smiles were sadness, under those bright conversations were words left unspoken, words we could not say to avoid breaking apart, words that effective communication could have prevented our downfall in Labyrinth.
As time went by, seconds into minutes, minutes into hours, hours turned days, days into weeks, weeks turned into months, fissures began to appear in the facade of our perfect union. The words left unsaid hung heavy in the air between us, like a time bomb ticking to explode. Yet, in our fear of losing it all, our fear of confrontation, we choose to bury our thoughts underneath, we laced this darkness in false smiles and charades.
Just this day, one fateful day when our buried thoughts cannot stay hidden any longer we pour out our emotions to each other, this day, was the day we saw our incompatibility, our differences and flaws, the words we avoided, when I cheated on her twice that she caught me, our voices raised against each other as we used things we pretended to overlook before this day as weapons against each other, I reminded her of that one guy she told me not to worry about, she told me about how narcissistic and broke I was, and questioned why she choose me in the first place. I had to reveal to her she had an attitude that would make one kill her, it’s not that we weren’t in love, but we weren’t just able to set the record straight and communicate about all of these initially, we lived in deceit thinking we could iron it out but no, only proper communication can. For in the end, it was not the absence of love that tore us apart, but rather the absence of true communication.”
In my introspection, to avoid the furtherance of shattered love stories, I made a life decision to write about the art of communication. I am writing this not for me but for you, for us and our world. Diary or dear readers forgive me for going too formal, but we cannot afford to not appreciate the concept of communication, we cannot afford not to understand it and how much it has and could change the world for us as a people (not my love story anyway).
Just like every other academic writing, let’s look at the historical background of the concept of communication. We can all agree to a maximum extent that the practice of communicating started at the beginning of time. In adopting the Christian theological perspective, it was recorded that “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God”. The Biblical perspective of the creation of the world also encapsulates the belief that the world was created with words.
Digressing from the theologists’ point of view, historians also believe that the practice of communication traces its roots back to our earliest human ancestors, if you believe in Darwinism, you know what that means. They also argued that while our predecessors lacked language as we know it, they communicated through early forms of nonverbal expression.
With this, we can collectively agree with the school of thought that the practice of communication can be traced to way back in time. That communication as it were then has evolved from its usual, and that without communication, our society will degenerate.
What do we understand by communication? According to the Oxford Dictionary, communication is: “The art of imparting news and information”. And it is an art. And as with all arts, it can be learned, refined and analysed monitored and measured and, perhaps eventually, perfected.
The art of communication involves transmitting information from one source to another to convey a specific message to elicit a desired reaction or result. Communications strategies and plans therefore focus on delivering messages effectively to obtain specific results. Communication includes the use of written words, gestures, signs, symbols, illustrations and spoken words for expression, all of these are an art of communicating. For the purpose of this writing we will look at the use of communication through the lens of three key drivers of society-–the social, economic and political aspects.
In the social realm, communication is an essential factor that drives social cohesion and connectivity across various societies. The art of communication between humans enhances the room for understanding and the clogs of emotional connectivity we feel for one another. I mean, imagine a world without the art of communication, how do you ask your parents for funds when you run out of them in school? How does a mother encourage her child? How can lovers tell each other about their feelings? I bet you, there is no means to all of these without it reflecting the art of communication.
Also, effective communication has created a room to share knowledge, ideas and innovation with others. This exchange of information has facilitated learning, problem-solving and the accumulation of collective wisdom. From the invention of written language to the development of printing presses and digital communication. technologies, all of these advancements in communication have enabled the preservation and dissemination of knowledge across generations and societies. It was Aristotle who said “Humans are social animals’ ‘ which implies that our social nature is bound to our ability to communicate regardless of how.
The art of communication is the language of leadership. We all must have seen or come across politicians, diplomats, and lawmakers who have harnessed the power of communication to bring about social change in the society that they serve. The power of most political leaders lies in their ability to communicate their messages in a way that resonates with their audiences.
An example of how communication has been a vehicle for change in the socio-political milieu of a society is the Martin Luther King Jr. civil rights movement speech delivered during the march in Washington in 1963, the speech titled “I Have a Dream” is a typical example of the transformative power of communication in driving social change. His speech led to legislative changes such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Right Act of 1965. King’s mastery of communication has not only mobilised the masses but also bridged the gaps of race and class, leaving a lasting global impact on the civil rights movement.
In the area of business and marketing, companies and firms have embraced the idea of communicating with their target audiences through effective communication. Various concepts in this regard have emerged such as public relations, advertising, promotion, and publicity which have become essential tools for businesses to convey their brand messages, build relationships with customers and enhance brand visibility... It is safe to say that communication is the key factor that drives sales for various brands in our contemporary society. Without proper communication with target audiences, brands will remain in darkness, unseen and be rendered useless.
Google is known for its open and transparent culture where employees are encouraged to communicate their ideas and thoughts freely. According to research, the company’s success lies in leveraging multiple internal communication channels, such as Google+, Google Groups and Hangouts, which has helped employees stay connected and informed.
By utilising these communication channels, businesses can create compelling narratives that resonate with their target audience, establish brand identity, and foster customer loyalty. Through targeted messaging and engaging storytelling, businesses can effectively communicate their value, product benefits, and uniqueness to drive sales. In today’s digital age, it is easier for brands to communicate personally with their audiences. It’s now evident that brands that do not possess the art of effective communication cannot thrive in today’s economic world.
After much analysis of the impact of communication on the three core aspects of every society, it is pertinent to understand that the art of communication is not only about speaking alone. Communication encompasses using verbal, nonverbal, and written styles to achieve its purposes. Communicating using any of these styles can also have diverse interpretations and meanings to different people, cultures and races. The impact of tone, gestures, and emotions can impact how a person’s message can be perceived by the audience. Let’s also note that, communication as earlier stated is beyond speaking because communication is establishing shared meaning and understanding among both parties.
We have seen tribes, countries go to war due to lack of effective communication which has brought about misunderstanding and conflict. One of the reasons for this can be traced to misunderstanding and miscommunication. According to a paper published by Digital History.com, “World War I was a product of miscalculation, misunderstanding and miscommunication among other factors…”
Being a good communicator can be difficult but one can always give room for improvement through active listening, clarity in sending messages, emotional intelligence, empathy, feedback and clear understanding.
It was Paul Watzlawick who said that “we cannot not communicate”. This explains that humans not communicating is also communicating but the art of communication has made us strive as a people. Communicating effectively will make our world a better place to live and filled with love and laughter. I hope you harness the art of communication so you do not lose one you cherish just like me.
I know you haven’t just read my tragic love story, I bet you have learnt something spectacular yet underrated. Tell my full story to the World, Diary.
DISCLAIMER: You will give me a 50+ clap when I tell you that the original version of this article is over 2000+ words. What I am saying in essence is that you can call me for any content writing jobs, I’m available, always, for the racks!
Also, like I said this article is not meant to be here, so like usual choose whether or not to use it for your pleasure!
